http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/computer_graphics/ Computer Graphics. Read the latest news in computer graphics, 3-D imaging and more. en-us Sat, 17 May 2008 09:05:01 EDT Sat, 17 May 2008 09:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/computer_graphics/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515145356.htm Catching a football. Maneuvering through a room full of people. Jumping out of the way when a golfer yells "fore." Most would agree these seemingly simple actions require us to perceive and quickly respond to a situation. An assistant professor of cognitive science argues they require something more -- our ability to foresee the future. Fri, 16 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515145356.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080516170653.htm At the request of a worldwide Internet organization, a computer scientist at NIST developed an algorithm that may guide applicants in proposing new "top-level domains." The NIST algorithm checks whether the newly proposed name is confusingly similar to existing ones by looking for visual likenesses in its appearance. Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080516170653.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514213432.htm Does playing violent video games make players aggressive? It is a question that has taxed researchers, sociologists, and regulators ever since the first console was plugged into a TV and the first shots fired in a shoot 'em up game. Now researchers suggest that there is scant scientific evidence that video games are anything but harmless, and that they do not lead to real world aggression. Moreover, new research shows that previous work is biased towards the opposite conclusion. Thu, 15 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514213432.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423175535.htm Playing a video game called 'Space Race' that requires nothing more than brainpower to make rockets on a computer screen move forward is more than just fun and games. A researcher is using video games to see if the brainwaves of children with autism can be 'retrained' to improve focus and concentration. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423175535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421133025.htm Although the digital age is well under way, one crucial detail remains to be worked out -- how to store vast amounts of digital information in a way that allows future generations to recover it. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421133025.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416212725.htm Over 77 million baby boomers will retire in the next 30 years, and robots are ready to assist with elder care. Engineers have created a robotic assistant that can recognize medical emergencies and call 911, remind clients to take their medication, help with grocery shopping and cleaning and allow retirees to communicate with loved ones. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416212725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416111607.htm From cars and mobile phones to computers and furniture, most of today's products are created virtually on a computer before they are actually produced. Researchers are adding new functionalities to digital product development. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416111607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415185011.htm Computer scientists have created a fog and smoke machine for computer graphics that cuts the computational cost of making realistic smoky and foggy 3-D images, such as beams of light from a lighthouse piercing thick fog. By cutting the computing costs, the computer scientists are helping to pull cutting edge graphics techniques out of research labs and into movies and eventually video games and beyond. Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415185011.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080412175657.htm Emotions are an intrinsic part of communications. But machines don't have, perceive or react to them, which makes us -- their handlers -- hot under the collar. But thanks to building blocks developed by European researchers, machines that 'feel' may no longer be confined to science fiction. Nearly everybody has to communicate with machines at some level, be it mobile phones, personal computers or annoying, automated customer support 'solutions'. But the communication is on the machine's terms, not the person's. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080412175657.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407153030.htm Fungi processing audio signals. E. Coli storing images. DNA acting as logic circuits. It's possible, and in some cases, it's already happened. In any event, performing digital signal processing using organic and chemical materials without electrical currents could be the wave of the future. Electrical engineers and computer science specialists describe experiments that perform signal processing with novel materials while stirring the engineering community towards "a possible not-so-electronic future" of digital signal processing. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407153030.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331111029.htm How can pensioners with little if any computer skills successfully cope with a digital information system? According to researchers, the design of an accessible system needs to incorporate large letter types and keys, the mother language, and a touch screen and ABCDE keyboard as input devices. Furthermore, positive feedback is important to reduce the stress experienced by pensioners whilst using the computer. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331111029.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330225933.htm Second Life is more than an on-line game for some young scientists. It is a handy three-dimensional tool used for resolving real issues. Computer Science students have recently used it to analyze and solve the everyday frustrations involved in borrowing a book from a library. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330225933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331172507.htm Engineers have created the first "active matrix" display using a new class of transparent transistors and circuits, a step toward realizing applications such as e-paper, flexible color monitors and "heads-up" displays in car windshields. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331172507.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330212029.htm Researchers have observed, through a microscope, plasmons on the surface of conductors measuring 30 nanometers. The use of such plasmons, signals that are at the limit of electronics and optics, is becoming, on this scale, an important issue for the much sought-after miniaturization of electronic circuits. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330212029.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080321104655.htm Tufts University has literally expanded the visualization concept with a new 14-foot by 8-foot visualization wall that enables researchers to translate the most abstract, complex science into 3-dimensional images that are clearer and more precise than those produced by most conventional systems. "Users will be able to manipulate, simulate, touch and literally immerse themselves in data in a way they never have been able to before," according to the university. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080321104655.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319152744.htm To a patient recovering from severe burns, no place would be more soothing than a polar landscape of gently falling snowflakes, snowmen, penguins, igloos and icy rivers. That's the thinking behind SnowWorld, an interactive, virtual-reality video game being used to manage pain felt by burn patients during wound care and physical therapy. Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319152744.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319160105.htm Electrical engineers are developing an on-chip imaging sensor with small pixels and 12,616 mini-optic lenses that are created as part of the semiconductor manufacturing process. Used in a digital camera, these lenses will record overlapping views of the scene, creating an electronic "depth map" as well as a photograph. Downloaded to a computer, the map can be used in many ways. The camera technology produces a "depth map" of a scene. The possible uses range from facial recognition to 'in vivo' biological imaging. Sat, 22 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319160105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310110859.htm A new computer program will be able to identify the type of brain damage a patient has had, to calculate the probability of recovery and recommend the most effective ways to treat the patient. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310110859.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306140851.htm A new study by human factors researchers suggests that students' posture is affected by the height at which they view classroom learning materials. The researchers cited computer screen displays positioned at mid-level as causing less musculoskeletal strain than high- and book-level displays. The mid display was found to promote a more upright and symmetrical posture and lower average muscle activity than either the high- or the book-level position. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306140851.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304200631.htm A man stands in front of a large screen gesticulating in a seemingly hectic manner. As if by magic, images suddenly appear on the display. Their movements follow the actor's gestures, rotate at the slightest turn of a finger, and become larger or smaller as desired. This scene will look familiar to anyone who has watched the science fiction film 'Minority Report'. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304200631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304193035.htm Thick instruction manuals, a confusing tangle of cables and endless different standards -- trying to connect your flat screen, DVD recorder, MP3 player, surround system and computer to one another and get them to work is rather a complicated task. Help is on its way in the form of a project called WiMAC(at)home (Wireless Media and Control at Home). In this project, which is being financed by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi), researchers are working on the wireless connection of electronic devices for broadcasting and entertainment in home networks. Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304193035.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304101431.htm A new haptic interface based on magnetic levitation to give computer users a feel for what's on the screen. They can perceive textures, feel hard contacts, and sense the heft of a heavy block as they lift it. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304101431.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229130355.htm In the ever more complex world of computer games, developers are constantly looking for new ways to make the playing experience more life-like. One problem that had remained unsolved was how to quickly simulate the gradation of shadows caused by indirect light bouncing off objects -- until a recent breakthrough. A new method can be used to model the path of light as it bounces off surfaces. Graphics are now far more realistic, with more variation in shade on an object, and hues of reflected light adding extra detail. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229130355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080223125318.htm Researchers have developed an algorithm that is capable of processing 30 images per second to recognize a person's facial expressions in real time and categorize them as one of six prototype expressions: anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise. Applying the facial expression recognition algorithm, the developed prototype is capable of processing a sequence of frontal images of moving faces and recognizing the person's facial expression. The software can be applied to video sequences in realistic situations and can identify the facial expression of a person seated in front of a computer screen. Although still only a prototype, the software is capable of working on a desktop computer or even on a laptop. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080223125318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080215151207.htm For many years, Tomaso Poggio's lab at MIT ran two parallel lines of research. Some projects were aimed at understanding how the brain works, using complex computational models. Others were aimed at improving the abilities of computers to perform tasks that our brains do with ease. But recently Poggio has found that the two tasks have begun to overlap to such a degree, that it's now time to combine the two lines of research. Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080215151207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214153532.htm Tools developed by researchers exploring language and speech comprehension can be powerful aids for remedial readers, children with language challenges, and anyone learning a second language, according to psychologists. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214153532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080215082756.htm If you were a man on the Titanic, which side of the ship would have given you the best chance of making it into a lifeboat -- and surviving? Well, according to data analysis, the boats launched from each side of the doomed ship show a different pattern when it comes to percentage of men on board: on the port (left) side, the first few boats were only lightly loaded, and contained a large number of male passengers and crewmen. On the starboard side, where good order was maintained throughout, the boats were fully loaded -- and almost completely with women and children. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080215082756.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213133301.htm When confronted with emergencies or natural disasters, such as the wildfires that raged through San Diego and Los Angeles counties last October or the tornadoes that recently hit the southern US, residents often dial 9-1-1 as their first course of action. Sun, 17 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213133301.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206155346.htm Large-scale digital music distribution is bringing about a profound revolution in the way we 'consume' music. The market is still in flux, but it is very clear that the listening systems of the future will be significantly different to what we see today. With the advent of compressed music files (MP3) and easily accessible internet file exchange and download services, consumers are increasingly turning to personal mini-databases of music files (iPod, MP3 players) for their musical enjoyment. The CD market has already taken a hard knock and many predict its imminent demise. In the future, the boundaries between the stereo system, computer and the television will become more and more blurred, but how the various functions will combine, and what new ones will emerge, is still 'a work in progress'. Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206155346.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080208133900.htm Safeguarding sensitive information -- no matter how sophisticated the IT system -- can never be foolproof, according to new research. The loss of a CD by HM Revenue & Customs in the UK in November 2007 containing personal and financial details of over 7 million families claiming child benefit was swiftly followed by assurances that such a mistake would never happen again. Then in February, an agency of the Department for Health admitted that over 4,000 NHS smartcards, giving potential computer access to patient records, had been lost or stolen - and nearly a third of these in the last year alone. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080208133900.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080208095158.htm Human-computer interaction has not improved enormously since Mark Twain's time, when the typewriter was invented. A European research task force hopes to change that by making human-computer interaction, well, 'similar' to the way humans do it. Mark Twain famously invested, and then lost, a fortune on the first typewriter, in 1874. Since then, human-computer interaction has moved beyond basic key-entry (here, the mouse is the most pervasive development), but the keyboard's legacy lives on. We are still using Qwerty, a layout designed to slow down the typist's speed, because the mechanical keys would jam together if pressed in rapid succession. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080208095158.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204140115.htm In a first-of-its-kind imaging study, the Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have shown that the part of the brain that generates rewarding feelings is more activated in men than women during video-game play. Fri, 08 Feb 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204140115.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206131640.htm Researchers are the first to create 3-D holographic displays that can be erased and rewritten in minutes. The holographic displays -- which are viewed without special eyewear -- are the first updatable three-dimensional displays with memory ever to be developed, making them ideal tools for medical, industrial and military applications that require "situational awareness." Dynamic hologram displays could be made into devices that help surgeons track progress during lengthy and complex brain surgeries, show airline or fighter pilots any hazards within their entire surrounding airspace, or give emergency response teams nearly real-time views of fast-changing flood or traffic problems, for example. Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206131640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080126100827.htm The rushing floodwaters in Evan Almighty, the heaving seas of the latter two Pirates of the Caribbean movies and the dragon's flaming breath in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire all featured computer-generated fluids in spectacular action. The science behind those splashy thrills will be recognized Feb. 9 with an Academy Award for Ron Fedkiw, associate professor of computer science at Stanford, and two collaborators at the special effects firm Industrial Light and Magic (ILM). Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080126100827.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124233657.htm For years, scientists have been trying to teach computers how to see like humans, and recent research has seemed to show computers making progress in recognizing visual objects. A new study, however, cautions that this apparent success may be misleading because the tests being used are inadvertently stacked in favor of computers. Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124233657.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080125233408.htm European researchers have pioneered a breakthrough interface that allows people to touch, stretch and pull virtual fabrics that feel like the real thing. The new multi-modal software linked to tactile hardware and haptics devices have enormous potential for shopping, design and human-machine interaction. A revolutionary new interface allows users to really feel virtual textiles. The system combines a specially designed glove, a sophisticated computer model and visual representation to reproduce the sensation of cloth with an impressive degree of realism. Thu, 31 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080125233408.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123173143.htm Researchers have demonstrated a video method that may make it possible to make remote, noninvasive measurements of the interaction of fluids and solid surfaces, data important to a host of phenomena including blood coursing through vessels, lubricated cartilage sliding against joints, and ink jets splashing on paper. Tue, 29 Jan 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123173143.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124092536.htm The Internet is not the font of all knowledge, despite the plethora of information available at your fingertips. Researchers have found that while Internet searches do bring up a variety of useful materials, people pay more attention to information that matches their pre-existing beliefs. Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124092536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117125636.htm Achieving superhuman vision like the Bionic Woman's could be as easy as popping in a contact lens. Engineers have for the first time combined a flexible, biologically safe contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights. Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117125636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080112081743.htm During the festive season, high streets and shopping malls across Europe were packed with shoppers armed with mobile phones. But the big crowds in small areas put intense strain on mobile networks, causing connection failures and reduced quality of service. Better network resource management offers a low-cost solution. The need for greater network capacity has been a constant concern of mobile operators as mobile phone traffic has increased in recent years and new data services have become available. There are two main ways to meet the demand: invest in costly new infrastructure or improve the way you manage the resources you have. Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080112081743.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080110102336.htm A Web site is a better source of information on nutrition than a video game or printed pamphlet, according to a study of low-income mothers reported in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. Fri, 11 Jan 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080110102336.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080102222813.htm Researchers, using machine learning and brain imaging, have found a way to identify where people's thoughts and perceptions of familiar objects originate in the brain by identifying the patterns of brain activity associated with the objects. Scientists were also able to accurately determine which of the 10 drawings a participant was viewing based on their characteristic whole-brain neural activation patterns. Fri, 04 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080102222813.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221225708.htm Keyboards are a necessary part of today's computers, right? Maybe not for much longer. A group of scientists have used acoustic sensors to turn wooden tabletops and even three-dimensional objects into a new type of computer interface. Sound vibrating a windowpane or through a tabletop is something most people experience daily. Sound waves travel well through most solid materials. Now, researchers have exploited the excellent propagation of sound waves through solids to turn everyday objects -- including 3D objects -- into a new kind of computer interface. Sun, 30 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221225708.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217162528.htm Using robotic teleconferencing to monitor patients after urologic surgery appears to result in similar patient outcomes and satisfaction as traditional bedside rounds, according to a new report. Thu, 20 Dec 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217162528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206231449.htm Many industrial processes involve reactions in places that are difficult to see directly. A novel tabletop touch screen allows hidden sequences of events to be observed in progress. It can be operated intuitively using a combination of fingers and recognizes swiping movements. A crowd of people is gathered around a large table with an illuminated surface, on which images of a journey through pipes and machines in a factory are being displayed. Users can select individual components by touching the corresponding image with a finger. The objects can be rotated and observed by swiping a finger over them -- and the same method can be used to watch a process in slow motion. Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206231449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203121438.htm Subjects like physics, calculus and biology are challenging for most students, but imagine tackling these topics without being able to see the graphs and figures used to teach them. A new smartpen and paper technology that works with touch and records classroom audio aims to bring these subjects to life for blind students. Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203121438.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071208165846.htm Researchers are developing a biological map of how three tiny pathogens cause big losses for cattle producers each year. Using a newly developed technique called proteogenomic mapping, they have overcome the limitations inherent in computer modeling. They are using mass spectrometers to identify protein amino acid sequences and map them back onto the genome DNA sequences. Sun, 09 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071208165846.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206145213.htm Mathematicians are on a mission to replace the costly software used in education and research with a free, open-source version. More than 100 mathematicians around the world are helping to develop the tool. Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206145213.htm